Jamia students reject delay, seek poll date

Students protesting for the restoration of the Jamia Millia Islamia Students' Union on Monday refused to call off their agitation, demanding that the university announce an election date after it issued an order earlier in the day stating that polls would be held within 15 days of the approval of the union's constitution.

At a press conference organised by the Jamia Collective at Syeda Manzil in Jamia Nagar, alums, members of the university's founding families, artists, lawyers and student representatives extended solidarity with the protesters and called for the restoration of democratic spaces on campus.

The Congress also said it stands in solidarity with protesting students seeking political empowerment through the revival of their student union, a day after the university booked two of its MPs on trespassing and other charges following a complaint by the university registrar.

Congress general secretary, Organisation, K C Venugopal alleged that university authorities had adopted a heavy-handed approach and were “taking instructions” from the central government for “distracting and defaming the protesters”.

As the protest entered its 15th day on Monday, the university ordered students' union elections to be held within 15 days of the approval of the union's constitution, and revoked suspension and show-cause notices issued to students during the ongoing protest.

The order, issued by Registrar Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi, also directed the formation of a committee to inquire into the conduct of security staff during the protest. The decisions came after the university considered a demand letter submitted by students on hunger strike and their delegates.

Under the order, the protesting students agreed to issue a public apology at a press conference for defamatory statements, actions, or social media posts made against the university administration during the agitation. They must take down such posts from social media platforms with immediate effect. The order stated that the protest would be called off immediately after it was issued.

However, the students, who are demanding the restoration of the students' union, whose elections have not been held since 2006, said it was not enough as the administration has not issued a definite timeline for the polls.

Scuffles broke out between protesting students and paramilitary personnel during the day as security was beefed up and police personnel did not allow the students, who raised slogans against the administration, to enter the campus after the university had shifted classes across all courses to online mode in view of the protest.

The Jamia Nagar police station filed an FIR on October 25 against Congress MPs Imran Masood and Imran Pratapgarhi, along with others, accusing them of trespassing on campus and inciting unrest, following a complaint by Registrar Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi.

According to the complaint, Pratapgarhi allegedly entered the university campus on October 21 after breaking the lock of Gate No. 4A, while Masood entered on October 23 by scaling a boundary wall near Gafoor Nagar with the help of a ladder.

The FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) dealing with criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, mischief, criminal intimidation, criminal conspiracy and common intention. Provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, and the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007, have also been invoked.